Fetch files on your PC

If you have the OneDrive desktop app for Windows installed on a PC, you can use the Fetch files feature to access all your files on that PC from another computer by going to the OneDrive website. You can even access network locations if they're included in the PC's libraries or mapped as drives. When you browse a PC's files remotely, you can download copies of them to work on. You can also stream video and view photos in a slide show. To access files on your PC remotely, make sure the PC you want to access is turned on and connected to the Internet. OneDrive also needs to be running on that PC, and the Fetch files setting must be selected.

Note

You can use a PC running Windows 8.1 to fetch files that are on another PC, but you can't fetch files that are on a PC running Windows 8.1, even if you install the OneDrive desktop app on that PC.

If you didn't select the Fetch files setting when you set up the OneDrive app, you can select it in Settings.

Go to the PC where OneDrive is installed.

Right-click the OneDrive icon () in the notification area, at the far right of the taskbar. (You might need to click the Show hidden icons arrow next to the notification area to see the icon.) Then click Settings.

On the Settings tab, under General, select Let me use OneDrive to fetch any of my files on this PC, and then click OK.

Look for the OneDrive icon ()
in the notification area, at the far right of the taskbar. You might need to click the Show hidden icons arrow next to the notification area to see all your icons. If you see the icon, right-click it and choose Exit to restart the OneDrive app.

Click Start, enter OneDrive in the search box, and then click Microsoft OneDrive. This opens your OneDrive folder, and also starts the OneDrive service.

Tip

To make sure OneDrive always starts when you sign in to Windows, right-click the OneDrive icon in the notification area, and then click Settings. On the Settings tab, under General, select Start OneDrive automatically when I sign in to Windows, and then click OK.

Notes

You can use a Mac to fetch files that are on a computer running Windows, but you can't fetch files that are on a Mac.

When you connect to a PC to fetch its files, you might be asked to enter a verification code.

If the Fetch files setting is unavailable, it might be blocked by Group Policy. Please contact your network administrator for more info.